The dead spirit passageway erupted into turmoil.
On Su Yu's side, space rippled slightly, and in the next instant, the young man vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Su Yu found himself standing inside a grand hall.
A stone statue sat cross-legged in the rear hall.
The moment he emerged from the spatial transit, a deafening roar assailed his ears: "I'm out! Su Yu, didn't you tell me to come out?"
"I'm here!"
"Just you wait!"
"..."
Su Yu was momentarily stunned. He had truly been caught off guard far too many times today.
What on earth?
This voice... sounded rather like the remnant spirit he had just dispersed. Yet right now, the voice seemed to be echoing from deep within the dead spirit passageway.
Rumble!
Old Turtle's aura flared slightly, instantly suppressing the passageway, and the entire world fell completely silent.
Yunxiao turned to glance at Su Yu. Seeing his dumbfounded expression, she assumed he was frightened and reassured him, "Don't worry. That fellow can't come out without good reason. There's no one in Hongmeng Sacred City, so breaking out will be exceptionally hard for him!"
"Wait, no..."
Su Yu was thoroughly baffled. "Lady Yunxiao, what... what is going on here?"
"Nothing much. Back then, that man was slain in the Sacred City. Afterward, he transformed into a dead spirit and even became a Dead Spirit Monarch. The one constantly trying to fight his way out of the Hongmeng Sacred City passageway nowadays is him!"
Su Yu was utterly astounded. "You mean... the previous castellan truly turned into a dead spirit?"
"Yes."
"And he still has his memories?"
"Some fragments of them."
Su Yu was speechless. In that case, when he blew up that remnant thought earlier, the guy had actually known about it! Su Yu had even taunted him, saying he should resurrect and come kill him if he had the guts... The guy might not have resurrected, but he still possessed terrifying combat power and was even a Dead Spirit Monarch!
That was possible?
Well, apparently it really was!
Even Su Yu had once contemplated that if he ever kicked the bucket and became a dead spirit, so long as he retained his memories, he would definitely lead the dead spirits out into the living world to exact bloody vengeance.
Turns out someone had actually gone and done it.
He looked back at the stone statue. This stone statue had not maintained a human form; instead, it was a colossal turtle, bearing some resemblance to a xuan turtle.
A turtle?
Su Yu was amazed. The true form of such a formidable Half-Emperor was actually a turtle?
The turtle race was not considered particularly strong.
Who would have guessed that their race harbored a Half-Emperor? Of course, the turtle race themselves probably had no idea.
After Old Turtle maintained his suppression for a while, the roars gradually faded. The stone statue did not shift into human form again, but merely spoke in a slow rumble: "Su Yu, you may refine the Castellan Token now."
Su Yu could not resist asking, "Senior, this... he really became a dead spirit?"
"Yes."
Old Turtle said leisurely, "Becoming a dead spirit is also the ultimate destination of castellans."
Many castellans ended up transforming into dead spirits.
Compared to ordinary experts, the probability was far higher.
Su Yu nodded and asked no further.
A dead spirit... was he supposed to be afraid of him?
He wasn't afraid in the slightest!
The fellow couldn't come out anyway. Even if he did, once Su Yu left the city, that guy wouldn't be able to do anything to him. If he had the ability, he should kill Old Turtle first.
Su Yu certainly didn't believe that fellow was stronger than Old Turtle.
Casting the matter aside, Su Yu sat down cross-legged and began refining the Castellan Token.
This Castellan Token was far more powerful than the others. Its death qi was vastly denser, making it much harder to refine. Throughout the refinement process, streams of information bombarded Su Yu's mind, leaving him somewhat dazed.
……
Within the surge of memories, a mighty silhouette emerged.
The man stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance. Behind him, figures of Dead Spirit Monarchs manifested one after another. Su Yu recognized them as Dead Spirit Monarchs at a single glance because Dead Spirit Monarchs were distinctly different from ordinary dead spirits: their eyes held light, and their attire was different—just as Xingyue favored wearing a cloak.
"Dead spirits are also one among the myriad races. To be reborn after death is far harder than being born a living creature. In the struggle for hegemony among the myriad races of the all-heavens, how could the dead spirit race be absent..."
The man's voice boomed grandly, echoing across heaven and earth.
"Gentlemen, let us break out of this Sacred City that imprisons us, and make every corner of these myriad realms our homeland!"
"Kill!"
Dead spirits surged in great numbers, their death qi boiling and blanketing the sky.
……
The scene shifted.
Dead Spirit Monarchs fell one after another. A gigantic turtle strode across the void, its four limbs trampling down as the Dead Spirit Monarchs were either beaten back into the passageway or slaughtered on the spot.
Death qi scattered in wild waves.
"Hetu, you have crossed the line!"
In the sky, Old Turtle looked down at the crowned expert below, his voice slow and heavy: "The rules cannot be transgressed!"
"Rules?"
The man threw his head back toward the sky and laughed. "All races may vie for supremacy—why not the dead spirit race? Are the rules... truly so unfair? So laughable? Then today, I shall shatter these rules..."
"Alas!"
A heavy sigh fell. In the next moment of the memory, heaven and earth cracked asunder.
The River of Time traversed the heavens. An unknown amount of time passed before the man crashed to the ground, his face pale and despondent, blood dripping steadily from his mouth...
Yet Su Yu's eyes widened!
On that man's arm... a pattern had surfaced!
A pattern!
Su Yu cared about this far too much. The very first thing his eyes locked onto was that pattern. It was somewhat different from the pattern he had seen in his previous memory, not quite identical, but... it was undeniably a patterned mark!
What was going on?
Coughing blood, the man looked toward the sky and sighed, "My skills fell short. Old Turtle, I have lost! However... though I die, I shall return once more. Just you... wait for me!"
Dark flames consumed the man.
Heaven and earth plunged into gloom!
Blood clouds descended, and a rain of blood drifted down. Reborn amidst the dark flames, the man fully transformed into a dead spirit. He took a stride into a massive passageway, a trace of vacancy in his eyes.
A murmured voice drifted out: "Though I have forgotten much, I still remember... I will return! To shatter these so-called rules! Wait for me!"
"..."
Su Yu's vision blurred, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Through refining the Castellan Token, he had caught a glimpse of what had happened to the previous castellan.
That lunatic had actually led Dead Spirit Monarchs out, attempting to dominate the all-heavens and join the great war of supremacy across the myriad realms. In the end... he was slain by Old Turtle himself, transforming into a dead spirit on the spot. And at the moment of turning into a dead spirit, he had even retained some of his memories.
Terrifying!
The phenomenon accompanying this man's fall didn't feel inferior to the demise of the Demon Emperor's three-life incarnation. That indicated that even if he wasn't quite at the Demon Emperor's level, he was almost certainly among the very pinnacle of the Invincibles.
Perhaps... comparable to King Daxia?
Su Yu couldn't say for sure. When the several Invincibles had fallen previously, no rain of blood had fallen—only floating blood clouds. There was still a distinction between the two.
"He transformed directly into a dead spirit?"
Su Yu was both astonished and shaken.
That guy was formidable indeed. But... Old Turtle was downright terrifying. Not only had he slain multiple Invincible dead spirits, but killing that castellan hadn't seemed to cost him much effort at all.
Frightening!
Su Yu lifted his head, stealing a glance at the turtle stone statue out of the corner of his eye, his heart pounding in dread.
If he ever violated the rules... would this senior personally strike to kill him as well?
Inside the hall, Old Turtle opened his eyes and looked at Su Yu as if seeing right through him. He spoke slowly, "The ancient rules cannot be defied! That we have survived means we must naturally abide by the rules. Without rules, the Sacred Cities cannot exist!"
Su Yu felt a jolt in his heart. Catching his breath, he replied, "Senior speaks the truth. Su Yu will certainly uphold the Sacred City's rules and never step out of line!"
With that, Su Yu asked as casually as possible, "Senior, just now I caught a few visions. I saw that when the previous castellan fought, a pattern surfaced on his arm. What was that?"
Before Old Turtle could reply, Yunxiao said offhandedly, not thinking much of it, "An ancient bloodline inheritance. It could be that the bloodline was exceptionally concentrated, or that an ancestor's strength was overwhelming, thus manifesting a bloodline mark."
Su Yu's heart gave another violent thud. He asked stiffly, "Earlier... didn't Senior mention that the Xia family where King Daxia belongs might possess an ancient Human King bloodline? Would their family... have this mark?"
Old Turtle said slowly, "It is merely speculation; it has not been confirmed whether the Xia family you speak of is of ancient bloodline. As for bloodline marks... antiquity has long passed. Whether a bloodline mark would manifest is impossible to say with certainty. Even with an inherited bloodline, it might not necessarily manifest in this era."
Su Yu pressed anxiously, "Then... does Senior know what kind of bloodline inheritance manifests as a pattern on the arm... a pattern that... looks somewhat like a lotus?"
He hastily traced the image he had witnessed in the air. He had kept this matter bottled up all this time, never asking or speaking of it.
He hadn't known whether revealing it might lead someone astray.
Now, Su Yu finally asked.
He drew it out!
Looking at the floating pattern, both Old Turtle and Yunxiao studied it for a long while. Eventually, Old Turtle said hesitantly, "This... does not look quite like a lotus..."
Yunxiao examined it closely as well before speaking: "This appears to be a composite bloodline mark, likely an intertwined inheritance from two ancient bloodline families. It looks somewhat like a hibiscus, but... it has additional flame patterns..."
She looked at it carefully again, then shook her head. "This is difficult to determine unless it is a pure bloodline."
Su Yu wasn't discouraged. He quickly asked, "Then... does this mark remain visible all the time?"
Old Turtle said slowly, "No, it does not need to show at all times. However, during moments of emotional agitation, explosive combat, or physical exhaustion, it might manifest. Antiquity is far removed from the present, separated by countless generations. Where did you see this? By my estimation, it should be difficult for anyone among the human race today to possess such a bloodline. The inheritance stretches back far too long!"
Too many years had passed!
A bloodline mark shouldn't be appearing anymore.
Pausing, Old Turtle muttered softly, "Then again, not necessarily. If that person also attained Eternity, they might indeed be able to stimulate the ancient bloodline inheritance!"
Su Yu asked urgently, "Senior, are ancient bloodlines bearing bloodline marks very powerful?"
"Powerful," Old Turtle said slowly. "Your predecessor, Hetu, possessed an ancient bloodline—and of the direct lineage, unbroken by time. Shortly after barely entering Eternity, he could already roam the all-heavens unchecked. Possessing such a mark also signifies that among his ancestors or forebears, at least one stepped into the Dao Integration Realm."
"Dao Integration?"
Su Yu was startled. Yunxiao said indifferently, "It refers to what is currently called Half-Emperor strength. It wasn't called that in the past. Big Brother is at this realm as well. If he ever sired offspring, they might inherit his bloodline mark—which would probably be a turtle?"
"..."
Old Turtle looked at Yunxiao with an inscrutable expression. If he sired offspring, they would be turtles—was that weird?
It would be weird if they weren't!
Naturally, Old Turtle still explained in a steady voice, "Bloodline marks can be related to cultivation methods, battle techniques, or carriers. For example, what you showed me is a combination of a lotus and flames. The flames might be a battle technique, while the lotus... could be a race, a carrier, or an art? It is hard to say for sure."
He asked with a touch of curiosity, "Where did you see this?"
Su Yu gave a perfunctory answer: "In an ancient ruin."
Old Turtle pressed no further.
He had no desire to pry into matters that didn't concern him. Asking fewer questions meant fewer headaches, which meant better sleep.
Knowing Su Yu had undoubtedly seen something, Old Turtle reiterated, "The rules... must not be violated! Rules are not regulations! Regulations can be established by me, by you, or by anyone. But rules... are different!"
"Not every regulation set by an individual can become a rule. Words become law; those who violate the rules will inevitably be forsaken. Su Yu, I hope you keep this firmly in mind!"
Su Yu felt a chill run through him. He understood now.
The rules were not established by Old Turtle.
They had been decreed by beings far more powerful—the Sovereigns of that bygone era!
Old Turtle was merely the enforcer.
He had no authority to violate the rules, so he could only carry them out. Even the slaying of the previous castellan had been entirely because he breached the rules.
Su Yu took a deep breath and quickly responded, "This subordinate understands!"
By now, he had finished refining the Castellan Token.
Yet aside from a wisp of death qi during the refinement, there was not a trace of death qi pressing on him now. It was rather astonishing. Evidently, Old Turtle had borne it all himself—he truly was immensely powerful.
With others, like Xinghong and Yunxiao, the moment Su Yu refined their tokens, he had been saddled with immense death qi.
Does this mean I could totally become the castellan of a few more cities?
The prerequisite was that things remained stable on Old Turtle's end. Otherwise, Su Yu worried he might be snuffed out by the death qi here, especially since the disobedient former castellan below seemed to be constantly rioting.
Old Turtle said nothing more. He closed his eyes as if about to drift off to sleep. Just as his eyes shut, Su Yu heard his parting words: "I hope you will not walk Hetu's path. When I killed him, I too struggled. I hope... you do not become the next Hetu."
Su Yu shook his head internally. *Not a chance, rest easy!*
*Hetu was an idiot!*
Old Turtle had stressed the rules countless times, yet Hetu still chose to violate them, insisting on defying Old Turtle and shattering the so-called rules... Damn it, you should at least have the strength to back it up before trying that!
Lacking the strength, yet still jumping out to smash the rules... that wasn't courage; that was sheer insanity, practically begging for death.
Su Yu scoffed internally. *I'd never do something so stupid!*
*At least not until I have the power to knock Old Turtle flat... haha, hehe, whoosh whoosh...*
Su Yu quickly scrambled his own thoughts. He couldn't afford to let his mind wander—this supreme powerhouse was sitting right before him.
His divine characters fluttered, and the "Calm" character reined in all his stray emotions.
*Stop thinking!*
*Keep a low profile!*
*I am an upstanding, law-abiding citizen! Boss Stone Statue is mighty and majestic!*
Su Yu rapidly brainwashed himself. Old Turtle's closed eyelids twitched slightly. He almost opened them, but ultimately decided against it.
He had indeed caught faint glimpses of Su Yu's bizarre, scattered thoughts.
However, they were an incoherent mess, laced with blatant brownnosing that made Old Turtle question his very existence. Had there ever been a genius this shameless?
Even in the deepest recesses of his mind, he was actively running flattering internal monologues at all times!
Su Yu paid no mind to any of that. Turning to Yunxiao, he flashed a radiant smile. "Lady Yunxiao, does this mean my refinement was a success? Am I officially the castellan of Hongmeng City now?"
"Yes!"
Yunxiao nodded and said casually, "Let's go. Things here are settled. Don't disturb Big Brother unless necessary. However, if you run into trouble, you can summon the Sacred City to descend... so long as it complies with the rules!"
Su Yu bared his teeth in a grin. "Understood! I know the Sacred City rules. The core comes down to one principle: do not let dead spirits out, and do not let death qi spread out of control. If no one provokes me, I provoke no one; if someone provokes me, I slaughter their whole family. Milady, my understanding isn't wrong, is it?"
Yunxiao froze for a moment, then nodded after a brief pause.
It wasn't wrong.
That was pretty much how it worked!
Their sole mission was to prevent dead spirits from escaping and keep death qi from growing rampant. Beyond that... Xinghong dared to secretly slay Invincibles, and Yunxiao dared to breach a city to pummel its castellan. There weren't really any other rules.
Su Yu beamed.
Wasn't it just this little bit of business?
What was the big deal!
A walk in the park!
He quickly asked with a smile, "Milady, if I hunt down large numbers of dead spirits, would that count as contributing to the Sacred City? I killed quite a few dead spirits back in Xinghong Ancient City and Tianmie Ancient City. Surely that earns me merit?"
Yunxiao hesitated. "Slaying dead spirits does count as merit..."
Su Yu chuckled. "Then what if I use dead spirits to fight formidable enemies, and in the end, both the dead spirits and the enemies perish? Would my fate end up the same as Hetu's?"
"..."
Yunxiao couldn't say for sure. At this moment, Old Turtle, who had kept his eyes closed, had no choice but to open them again. Feeling somewhat helpless, he couldn't shake the sensation that... he might have made a mistake somewhere, and that trouble might follow.
After a moment's hesitation, he spoke slowly: "Using dead spirits to kill enemies does not violate the rules. However, once dead spirits emerge, if they refuse to depart..."
Su Yu asked in confusion, "Right, Senior! Don't dead spirits have to leave after three days? Or rather, they can't even leave the city in the first place. How was Hetu able to use dead spirits to contend for hegemony across the all-heavens?"
Strange!
Old Turtle fell silent.
Just as Yunxiao was about to speak, Old Turtle cut in, "Yunxiao, take him away!"
Yunxiao swallowed her words and glared coldly at Su Yu. "Don't pry into what you shouldn't! What are you asking blindly for!"
He had nearly tricked her into blurting it out!
Fortunately, Big Brother had stopped her. As expected, humans were cunning; this brat had actually been trying to coax information out of her.
Yunxiao thought to herself.
Su Yu felt a touch of regret. It seemed there truly was a way to bring dead spirits outside. Naturally, since they refused to say, Su Yu wouldn't press the matter.
The demons... might know.
Otherwise, how could they have guided the Flame Demon back?
Never mind, he didn't need to concern himself with this for now. His luck today hadn't been bad at all. Even though Hongmeng City had nothing in it and Old Turtle wouldn't necessarily strike for his sake, at a critical juncture, merely summoning the ancient city to intimidate people would suffice.
He was a Half-Emperor expert, after all!
It didn't matter if he didn't lift a finger; as long as he stood in the background, he was a massive banner to wave. And when it came to waving a banner to bluff others, Su Yu was an expert.
Yunxiao dragged him along, quickly taking her leave.
Once they had departed, Old Turtle opened his eyes and gazed in the direction Su Yu had gone, a look of perplexity surfacing in his gaze.
Su Yu was anything but ordinary.
Old Turtle had examined his bloodline power; it possessed no special trait, yet Su Yu had managed to complete the Iron-Eating Seventy-Two Castings. That was virtually impossible.
The Iron-Eating Seventy-Two Castings was the supreme art of the Iron-Eating race.
Even with their innate bloodline and talent, very few Iron-Eaters had ever truly completed all seventy-two castings. Whether any could do so nowadays was hard to say. How had this Su Yu accomplished it?
Furthermore, how had he modified this body-casting art into one suitable for human cultivation?
Then there was that divine character battle technique—it was unusual.
And... many other things were unusual as well.
The Five Elements Divine Art had lost its inheritance; even the Five Elements race had lost it. In antiquity, when the Five Elements split, the Five Elements Divine Art was broken apart, and the ancient Human Sovereign had confiscated the art, placing it among forbidden arts.
Though this Five Elements Divine Art had not yet been fully perfected... Su Yu shouldn't have been able to learn it at all.
Puzzlement deepened in Old Turtle's eyes. What an eccentric little fellow.
Down in the passageway, the roaring erupted once more!
"Old Turtle, let me out! I'll let that brat know what true strength means!"
Old Turtle sighed helplessly, murmuring placidly, "Look at you. Having lost your memories, even your temper has grown volatile, devoid of your former composure. Over such a trivial matter... just sleep, and you will forget all about it."
How big a deal could it be!
Sleep, go to sleep!
Once asleep, everything would be forgotten.
He closed his eyes and prepared to sleep, letting Hetu struggle all he wanted. To break his guard, Hetu was still far too green.
Below, Hetu struggled for a bit, then snorted coldly, turned, and vanished.
A great horde of dead spirits followed him, marching into the distance.
Hetu ceased his futile efforts. This old turtle was too strong. No matter—he would go summon reinforcements, and together they would shatter this old turtle's suppression.
……
On the return journey, Yunxiao took Su Yu on another grand joyride.
Darting across the ends of the earth!
The path was completely different from their previous route. Su Yu didn't mind; by now, he had figured out that she simply wanted to wander around aimlessly. It had nothing to do with the route—she wished she could spend even more time outside.
Which was fine by him!
At the very least, Su Yu could use the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the world.
For instance, when they reached the vicinity of the Plain of Desires, Su Yu asked, "Milady, this place is very bizarre. When experts enter, they are easily teleported away. Why is that?"
Yunxiao Ancient City was actually not far from the Plain of Desires.
As expected, Yunxiao knew. She replied casually, "Back then, an expert fell here. In life, he excelled in the Dao of Desire. The stronger one is, the more easily one resonates with that expert's lingering will and becomes dominated by desire. That is why this place is called the Plain of Desires. Once you reach Eternity, most can avoid it."
Su Yu understood. So that was it.
A supreme expert had died here!
When they flew over the Sea of Stars, Su Yu asked again, "Milady, why does this Sea of Stars float in midair?"
Yunxiao naturally knew this as well, explaining, "It dates back to antiquity. Originally, the Sea of Stars did not float. Later, an expert's Dao partner mentioned that a sea resting on the ground didn't offer a beautiful view of the stars. So that expert spent countless years setting up a grand array to make the Sea of Stars float."
Damn!
Su Yu was speechless. Even that was a thing?
Which powerhouse had been that bored?
"Milady, what are those countless stars in the sky? Why is it that even when experts soar into the sky, they cannot reach them?"
Yunxiao said once more, "Those... stars... are not actually stars; they are likely apertures. They have existed since ancient times. Legend has it that when the All-Heavens Battlefield was constructed, many experts worked themselves to death and fell. Their apertures transformed into stars; they are not real celestial bodies."
Su Yu clicked his tongue in wonder once again. Apertures?
Apertures the size of stars?
Truly terrifying. Was that real or just a myth?
Judging by her tone, Yunxiao had only heard of it as well, rather than witnessing it herself.
"Milady, why is there a rule on the All-Heavens Battlefield that geniuses always run into one another?"
"Because the All-Heavens Battlefield was originally built as a trial ground for geniuses. Back then, geniuses from all races across the heavens came here to temper themselves. If everyone hid away, could it still be called a trial? Thus, geniuses easily encountering one another is also a rule."
"Milady, wouldn't it be better for the myriad races to live in peace? Why must they wage war?"
"Ask your human race!"
Yunxiao snapped bluntly, "Nine out of ten great wars were instigated by humans! After experiencing this repeatedly, whenever your human race shows signs of rising, the myriad races will naturally take heed and move to wipe you out!"
"Then why didn't they completely annihilate us when we were at our weakest?"
"Were you weak four hundred years ago?" Yunxiao retorted mercilessly. "And what was the result? The human race keeps plenty of backup plans; utterly destroying you is extremely difficult! Moreover, the All-Heavens Battlefield closes periodically, and during those intervals, your human race always manages to rekindle from the ashes!"
Su Yu felt like laughing... he genuinely couldn't help it.
It really was rather bizarre.
They couldn't be wiped out, and if left alone, humans would sprout right back up.
The myriad races were probably driven half-mad by it!
"Periodic closures... how often does the All-Heavens Battlefield close?"
"Anywhere from several thousand to over ten thousand years."
Well, that was still a long way off. The Human Realm passageway had only been open for a few centuries.
"Milady, do you know much about the Heaven Hunting Pavilion?"
Yunxiao looked around, enjoying the scenery, answering him half-heartedly without caring much what he asked: "I do. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion... during the periods when the All-Heavens Battlefield is sealed, living beings cannot survive in most places. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion relies on the Heaven Hunting Ranking to shelter people, so they are considered permanent residents here. The Sacred Cities could technically do so as well, but during the sealed period, living beings who stay too long in the Sacred Cities will probably turn into dead spirits. Thus, it is hard for Sacred Cities to shelter people until the next opening of the battlefield. The Heaven Hunting Pavilion, utilizing the Heaven Hunting Ranking, can manage it."
"Is the Heaven Hunting Ranking a divine weapon?"
"Yes."
Yunxiao scooped up a large fish from the water. She wanted to eat it, but glancing at Su Yu, she felt a little embarrassed. As a dignified Sacred City Guardian, wouldn't it look disgraceful if Su Yu saw her gorging on fish?
Seeing her holding the large fish, Su Yu was quick on his feet and hastily said, "Milady, I'm feeling a bit hungry. May I roast some fish to eat?"
"..."
"You may!"
Yunxiao, being wonderfully considerate, nodded in agreement. It could be roasted.
Without another word, Su Yu quickly used Five Elements fire to sear it. After some thought, he applied the Fire of Inheritance as well; roasting with such an innate divine character would probably bring out a richer flavor.
As for seasonings, none were needed. The "Wood" character flared, encircling the fish with fresh green leaves that released a crisp herbal aroma. The "Water" character activated, washing it with rootless water, while the Mind Expansion Hammer tapped away, tenderizing the fish meat to make it springy and exceptionally flavorful.
Divine characters flared one after another, leaving Yunxiao dazzled.
Fish could be prepared like this?
She looked at Su Yu with evident satisfaction. Not bad, not bad at all!
Of course... it seemed Su Yu intended to eat it himself. What about her?
Just as she was pondering this, Su Yu finished roasting the fish. A mouthwatering aroma wafted through the air as he smiled. "Milady, care for a taste? Eating alone lacks flavor for me; sharing it with someone else makes it truly delicious..."
"Then I shall give it a try!"
Yunxiao maintained an aloof expression. A pair of golden chopsticks appeared in Su Yu's hand, which Yunxiao took rather awkwardly. She picked up a piece of fish... clamping onto the entire fish, she swallowed it in a single gulp, nodding. "Decent. Not bad!"
Su Yu was struck dumb!
Are you a cat?
Such a massive fish, and you swallowed it whole in one bite!
Yunxiao paid him no mind. *You invited me to have a bite, and that was one bite. It really was delicious!*
Su Yu harbored deep suspicions that Yunxiao's true form was a cat!
In any case, she definitely wasn't human!
Su Yu didn't dwell on it. Seeing that she was fairly satisfied, he smiled again. "Milady, did you build Yunxiao Sacred City yourself?"
"Built jointly. Back then..."
Yunxiao paused, not finishing the thought, and said dismissively, "Count it as built by me."
"Milady, I heard that the ancient cities contain treasures and opportunities. I stayed in an ancient city for a while—why didn't I encounter any of these opportunities?"
The ancient cities were supposed to harbor great fortunes.
Some found weapons, others cultivation arts, and some picked up treasures. Why hadn't he found anything?
Were they looking down on him?
Yunxiao didn't pay much attention to this and answered offhandedly, "The items in the ancient houses of the Sacred Cities come partly from the experts who resided there back then, and partly from heavenly rewards granted for merit in guarding the dead spirit realm! You haven't lived through it, so you wouldn't know. Every so often, heaven and earth bestow rewards upon the Sacred Cities, including us Guardians. You could think of it as... what you call a salary! Of course, it only happens once every millennium. If someone happens to be residing in an ancient house at that time, they receive rewards as well, and the castellans receive substantial rewards too."
Su Yu came to a sudden realization. They actually drew a salary!
No wonder!
"Then have you seniors accumulated many treasures over these countless ages?"
Yunxiao said casually, "You could say that, though most have been consumed! Things we couldn't use might have piled up a bit."
"Where do the rewards from heaven and earth come from?"
Su Yu was curious. Yunxiao chuckled. "From the Star Residence Mansion."
"..."
Su Yu froze.
The Star Residence Mansion?
The rewards were stored in the Star Residence Mansion?
What did that mean?
Yunxiao laughed. "Didn't Big Brother tell you? You weren't listening? The mansion came first, and only then the All-Heavens Battlefield. Everything was established around the Star Residence Mansion. Nowadays, the sources of those heavenly rewards and treasures are almost all inside the Star Residence Mansion. The Star Residence Mansion... is called a mansion, but it is vastly more complex than you can imagine! Even we went there in the past, yet we never managed to enter its core... That place... has an origin far grander than you think!"
Su Yu pressed hastily, "Isn't it the residence of an ancient Sovereign?"
"You could say that!"
Yunxiao brushed it off. "Don't ask too much. There are things we don't speak of, partly because we don't fully understand them, and partly because speaking of them is forbidden. They involve ancient Sovereigns; mentioning them brings no benefit, and it is best not to bring them up at all. Those mighty beings might be dead, or they might not be. In short, the myriad realms hold countless secrets!"
Su Yu took a deep breath and asked one more thing: "Milady, were there many Invincibles in antiquity?"
Thirty-six Sacred Cities, thirty-six Invincibles, plus a Half-Emperor!
Such powerhouses had been deployed merely to guard the dead spirit realm.
Yunxiao smiled. "Fairly so. Not too many, not too few. We were considered experts of that era; otherwise, we wouldn't have been qualified to guard a realm! Furthermore, we weren't as strong back then as we are now. So much time has passed, and we have continued to cultivate and temper ourselves, so we are all stronger than we were back then!"
As she spoke, the ancient city came into view.
Yunxiao felt a pang of reluctance!
She really didn't want to go back.
*Oh well, going back is fine. I can't fleece Su Yu to death all at once; take it slow!*
Carrying Su Yu, she vanished in an instant. Her voice echoed by Su Yu's ear: "You had better pay a visit to Yuhong Sacred City. Yuhong can barely hold out much longer. Hongmeng City doesn't require you to bear much death qi, but Yuhong needs your help."
Su Yu nodded. Understood!
Though, he had originally planned to find Tianmie.
If he went to Yuhong Ancient City, bearing the burden would become quite difficult. Should he still go looking for Tianmie?
As for Tianmie... maybe skip him?
Tianmie had looked full of vigor, showing no signs of impending trouble whatsoever.
……
Not far away, Tianmie widened his eyes, watching Su Yu and Yunxiao enter the city, his gaze brimming with yearning and anticipation.
*I want to go out!*
*I don't want to stay in this damned place any longer!*
Suffering hardship was fine; what hurt was comparison! Those two bastards, Xinghong and Yunxiao, were taking things too far, rubbing it in his face!
If neither of them had stepped out of their cities, Tianmie felt he could have endured it.
Yet both of them had gotten to roam outside, leaving only him trapped inside.
He refused to accept this!
*Su Yu is my disciple—why isn't he coming to rescue me?*
*The breathing technique and oscillation method I passed down to you—have you forgotten them completely?*
*How can a person have so little conscience!*
Chapter 510